


The Silver Finches

by Hacereadsenochian (Grannahreadsenochian)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: AU, Battle wounds, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, critical role - Freeform, gender neutral reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 10:19:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14186733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grannahreadsenochian/pseuds/Hacereadsenochian
Summary: Mortally wounded, Caleb can't hold back his fears anymore.





	The Silver Finches

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Grannahreadsenochian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grannahreadsenochian/gifts).



A blow, a parry, a stinging cuff to your cheek, drawing blood. Such was the heat of battle on this night, in the middle of a circle of circus tents. Fires burned around you, giving off enough light to see the glint in the un-dead creatures eyes, and the flash of your blade as you swung again and again. Once, twice, three times you cut into it, but it refused to drop. Until finally, you brought your hands high over your head and came down with all your might, cutting straight through the zombie. It fell away from your sword, finally laying still on the ground. You stood over it, a victorious snarl on your face, your sword dripping with the dark mucous that covered these creatures. 

    You looked up, and there was Caleb, his silhouette illuminated by the backdrop of a roaring fire. He looked at you, ferocious and covered in slime, and grinned. /We won/. 

    Then you watched in horror as a dark shape rose behind him, strings of mucous dripping from its gaping jaws, and sunk its teeth into Caleb's shoulder. His eyes widened, in fear, in pain, and he was dragged to the ground. 

    A scream tore it's way from your throat, and you nearly tripped over the corpse in front of you, as you scrambled to get to Caleb. He was writhing on the ground, locked with the monster,  and as you raised your blade you could barely distinguish his form from the creature. 

    Then the monster's thrashing was cut short, and it gave a last wheezing sound and collapsed, on top of Caleb's body. Your heart pounded in your chest as you grabbed the zombie and dragged it off of Caleb. And as you fell to your knees next to him, you saw the extent of his injuries. His whole shoulder was torn open, so soaked with blood that it shone in the firelight. There were rips all the way across his torso, across his chest, down to his stomach, where the zombie had sunk in its claws. 

    "No-" Your voice shook. "Caleb-"

    "Y/N?" He struggled to lift his head. "Oh God-" 

    "Don't look," you said, fumbling the the clasp on your cloak. "Don't look at it, Caleb. You're going to be fine-" But your voice broke off into a sob. You bunched up the cloak and started pressing it into Caleb's shoulder to try and stop the blood, even as tears stung at your eyes, and your vision blurred. 

    You felt hands covering yours, and pushed them away. 

    "Hey, Y/N," Caleb grabbed your hands and held them down. "Stop that." 

    "I have to stop the bleeding," you protested, struggling halfheartedly against his grasp. 

    "You can't stop this," Caleb said gently. You looked down at him, your eyes shining.

    "I have to try," you whimpered. A tear slipped down your cheek. 

    "No no no," He let go of you. "Don't cry." You saw hesitation in his eyes, and wondered what it was from, before he reached up and brushed his thumb over your cheek. There was a dream-like expression on his face as he looked up at you. Then his breath hitched, and his eyes fluttered shut. Your stomach dropped. 

    "Jester!" You screamed for your cleric companion. "Jester, help me!" 

    "Y/N, please," Caleb's eyes were open again, his face contorted. "Jester can't help me." 

    You looked down at his body, and knew it was true. No one could heal this sort of damage. Caleb's body, once strong, now lay broken, soaking the ground with his blood. 

    "What can I do?" 

    Caleb's hands shook, as did his voice as he breathed, tentatively, "hold me." 

    You froze for a second, taken off guard by his uncharacteristic request. But your hands seemed to move on their own, lifting Caleb into your arms. 

    His head rested on your lap, and he closed his eyes with a breath of relief. His forehead was creased and slick with sweat. You brushed his hair back. 

    "I don't feel anything," he said. Your hand stopped. "There's no pain." He 

squeezed his eyes shut, his face contorting with emotions. "Don't you worry about me," he said emphatically. 

    There were a billion things you wanted to say, but you couldn't bring yourself to speak. 

    You felt Caleb tense, and his whole body shudder as he struggled to draw air into his lungs. After a moment, the fit ended. 

    "I am afraid," he admitted through gasps. "Afraid of all the things I didn't do, the things I wanted to tell you." 

    "You can tell me," you whispered. 

    "I wanted to take you back to my home, to show you the forests. I wanted you to hear the sweet singing of the silver finches." His eyes were unfocused, no longer seeing anything that was in front of him. "I think you would have liked their songs." His breathing was heavy, labored. "You should hear them." 

    "I will," you promised, your voice catching. "Silver finches. I'll find them." 

    "I was going to take you."  

    The regret in his voice made your insides twist. 

    "Caleb-"

    "When you hear them," he whispered, "think of me." 

    "I-" Visions flew to your eyes, memories of Caleb pulling you away from the others to show you a flower, leaning over and telling you an interesting fact he read about Zadash, or those particular cobblestones, or that kind of pastry. All the times you'd read over his shoulder without him even realizing, until you both chuckled at the same parts. You thought about all the fleeting touches you'd shared at crowded tavern tables,  and accidental glances at each other across crackling fires. How deep his gaze was, the intellect and intensity that swelled behind them. 

    "I'll think of your heart," you whispered. "how deep it is, and how you accepted this big, mismatched family, even though you were so scared to. I'll think of your scruffy beard, and your messy hair," You were just listing things now, but you couldn't stop. "And how you're always spending money you don't have on books, on knowledge, and how you skip over words you can't read, and that stupid copper coin trick you tried fooling me with that first night we met."

    There came no response.

    Caleb's body was still. 

    Only the snapping of the fires broke the nights silence. 

    A warm breeze blew across the clearing, ruffling Caleb's hair. 

    "Oh Caleb."

    Something tickled your cheek. A tear. And before you could wipe it away, another. You looked to the sky, the stars barely visible through the smoke all around you. 

    "Silver finches," you promised again, to the sky. "I'll find them." _And think of you._


End file.
